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Kvosin Downtown Hotel

This small and charming boutique hotel occupies a historic building that dates back to the late 19th century, enjoys a fabulous downtown location, and offers swish interiors and in-house amenities such as a sophisticated restaurant and bar.

Location

9/10

“Kvosin” is the name of the area that constitutes downtown Reykjavik (otherwise known colloquially as “101”) so it’s no surprise to learn that the hotel is right in the middle of the city. Multiple bars, museums, cafés and sights are right on the doorstep, as is the pleasant lake Tjornin and the Laugavegur shopping street.

Style & character

8/10

The hotel is housed in a building that dates back over a hundred years and has housed everything from hairdressers to furriers. It was renovated by local designer Haf Studio and Einar Geir Ingvarsson, who have given the interior an upbeat Scandinavian feel with a minimal, modernist furnishings and specially commissioned, documentary-style photos of local life.

Service & facilities

8/10

The front desk staff are incredibly helpful and accommodating, assisting with everything from booking concert tickets to suggesting sights and insider nightlife tips. There is also a ‘Kvosin Kiosk’, which sells gifts like linen, teas and toiletries.

Bar

Laundry

Restaurant

Sauna

Wi-Fi

Rooms

8/10

The hotel comprises 24 boutique apartments, which are separated into usefully straightforward categories such as Big, Bigger and Biggest. All are equipped with Nespresso coffee machines, Sóley Organics toiletries and kitchenettes (it’s worth noting there are refrigerators but no minibars). There are Lín Design linens on the beds and all are generously spacious and light-filled during the daytime. Some also have balconies.

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Food & drink

8/10

Ground floor restaurant Bergsson Mathús doesn’t belong to the hotel but is a convenient (and popular) spot with a healthy mediterranean menu and specials each day.

The adjacent Klaustur Bar, which is run by the hotel, serves as a well known hangout for locals as well as hotel guests and has a great selection of wines, whiskeys (over 40), and gins (including Taiwanese and Belgian) that can only be found in Iceland. It also serves Spanish Tapas with cute Icelandic twists such as local cheeses. It also offfers a simple but adequate breakfast - aside from the usual fruits, beverages and cold cuts, guests can also expect freshly baked oatmeal cookies and sourdough bread, as well as locally-minded dishes like ham and shrimp salad.